Lpc2000

Tom,

I'm no legal expert, but I'd use the term "copying" when talking 
about "reformatting an existing work". Precisely what copyright is 
designed to control (i.e. establish ownership of the work). If the 
owner is happy to distribute it widely, that's fine, but I'd still 
recommend checking first...

As for something like a header file mapping names to addresses, 
there's certainly work in preparing it, so I don't see any problem 
with putting a copyright notice on it. But as I say, I'm no legal 
expert.

Brendan

--- In lpc2000@yahoogroups.com, Tom Walsh <tom@o...> wrote:
>
> Paul Curtis wrote:
> 
> >Tom, 
> >
> >  
> >
> >>>With respect - if they are not distributing them yet - 
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>neither should you.
> >>    
> >>
> >>>I presume they are copyrighted?
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>Probably patented too...  Seems that a number of people slap a 
> >>boilerplate copyright header into everything they do, even 
> >>trivial code, 
> >>or stuff that isn't theirs.  e.g. header files describing 
register 
> >>locations and bit values / name.  In the case of the header 
> >>files, they 
> >>are using the exact verbage as Philips.
> >>
> >>Now how can you justify asserting that you have a copywrite 
> >>on something 
> >>that isn't yours???  Apparently Microsoft is not the only one to 
use 
> >>Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt?!
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >All our header files are generated from XML descriptions and those 
are
> >also used in the debugger and build system.  As to copyright, the 
person
> >who typed in the names does it for the company they are working 
for and,
> >as such, it is part of their job to ensure that even trivial 
things are
> >copyrighted.  Given the large number of registers that some ARM 
chips
> >have, this is not a trivial task.  Hence, a copyright is an 
essential
> >part of software and product development to ensure that a 
competitor
> >does not simply steal your work.
> >
> >  
> >
> Well, apparently you went to a different school than I did.  
Copyright 
> can only be asserted on an original work, simply reformatting an 
> existing work does not automagically create a copyright.  Nor does 
> "sweat" justify assigning a copyright.  Respectfully, it is my 
opinion 
> that you spend some time looking into copyright practice.
> 
> TomW
> 
> -- 
> Tom Walsh - WN3L - Embedded Systems Consultant
> http://openhardware.net, http://cyberiansoftware.com
> "Windows? No thanks, I have work to do..."
> ----------------------------------------------------
>